Electrical heating system



July 13, 1954 A, KOFF ELECTRICAL HEATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. l0, 1952 vibra-linux;

.mit-v Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to heaters, and particularly to an electric type of heater embodying air circulating and distributing mechanisms of the general type disclosed and claimed in my prior` co-pending applications, Ser. No. 226,908, filed May 17, 1951, and Ser. Nos. 302,365 and 302,366, filed August 2, 1952.

In these co-pending applications, a double path blower form of air circulator or distributor is disclosed. This general form of air circulator utilizes power blowers, one of which may control the movement of the heated air directly from the heat exchanger or heat source, and the other of which may recirculate the air after it has been forced into the area being heated. Casings or housings enclose the blowers and the air directing conduits, and the air emerges at the top of the housing in a substantially horizontal direction, but above the heads of any persons standing in the area.

The prior applications describe various forms of heat exchangers and heat sources, such as hot air furnaces and hot water or steam radiators, while the present invention is directed to a novel type of electrical heat exchanger, although using an electrical unit well-known in the art. The electrical heat exchanger practically reverses the normal operation of the old unit associated therewith, the new arrangement providing optimum efficiency in heating the air electrically. rlhe unit may also be used for air conditioning when air circulation is desired without heat.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate the control of air in an area to be heated or cooled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved air heater, circulator, and distributor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical heat exchanger in conjunction with an air circulator and distributor.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the appended claims, the manner of its organization and the Inode of its operation will be better understood by referring to the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an air heating and circulating unit embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear View of the invention taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the elements of the heat exchanger unit, and

Fig. 4 is a top view of the heat exchanger unit.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the same numerals identify like elements, a casing :'5 having a front panel 6 and side panels 'l and e3 has an air outlet grill l at the upper end of front panel E and an air inlet grill i l at the lower end of the front panel 6. Positioned opposite the lower air inlet panel ll is a pair of blowers i3 and it having their air inlets behind the pane' ll and connected thereto by a housing l5. Motors, one of which is shown at il', drive the blowers.

The blower i4 forces air up a conduit or pipo 2i) having an intermediate enlarged portion 2l and an upper portion 22 with its exit the grill i5. The air is moved by the blower it as indicated by the direction of the arrows. An ultraviolet lamp 25 is positioned in the upper section 22 or the conduit in order to purify the air as described in the above mentioned copending applications. The other blower i3 forces air up a conduit or pipe .26 which has its exit into pipe section 22 by means of an interconnecting pipe section 2l. Thus, air moved by the blower I3 ley-passes, the heat exchanger unit 2i, now tc be described.

rlhe heat exchanger unit includes a heater elenient Sil having a base 3l with terminals connectable to the regular house source of current. This element has a ceramic conical section 32, around which is wound an electrical heating element such as a wire coil 33. This type of heating unit is now commercially available on the market. lThe heating element 3S is mounted on cross members 35 attached to the sides of the section 2i. Surrounding the base 3l of the element Si) is a ring 3e having a plurality oi radial slots 3l therein. A similar ring 39 with slots is po sitioned below the end of the conical section S2. Inserted in corresponding slots 3l and fill, are a plurality of strips l2 having bent over ends to hold them in the slots of the rings 36 The width of the strips 2 may be wider than the depth of the slots, so that they provide a circle of hns around the heating element Gther means of mounting the iin-s 42 may be used.

The above described arrangement of the heat exchanger has several advantages which provide it with maximum eiliciency in heating the passing through the section 2l. First, by arranging the unit 30 with the large end of the conical section 32 facing the oncoming air and having its closed end spherically shaped, the air is retarded and circulated in spirals around the heating coils 33. That is, there is turbulence of the air around the coils, this entrapped air having a much lower velocity than the air beyond the large portion of the conical section 32, which permits the entrapped air to become heated to a higher temperature. Next, since the coils become red, heat is radiated to the strips or fins @2, which become hot and which heat the air passing between them. As shown by the arrows, the air passes from the inside out at the lower ends oi the fins and outside in at the upper ends of the fins. These strips vare of copper preferably, because of the excellent heat conducting property of copper. Thus, by proportioning or controlling the air moved by the blower ld through the heat exchanger, the maximum transfer of heat from the element 3S to the air is obtained.

The by-passed air path within the pipes 26 and El has two functions. It can provide a siphoning action to increase the air flowing through the heat exchanger unit, or it may be used separately without the blower Ill to provide simple air circulation to increase the comfort of people in the area in which the air is circulated. If the air intake Il is positioned near a cool air source, the operation of blower l alone will provide a cool conditioning unit. A switch unit di has four buttons, one to control the heating element, one to control blower I3, one to control blower lli, and the last one to control the ultraviolet lanip 25.

I claim:

l. An air heating system comprising a casing having an air exit at the top thereof and an air intake at the bottom thereof, an air path formed. by a blower adjacent said air intake and a conduit from said blower and having its exit at the top of said casing, and a heat exchanger within said conduit, said heat exchanger including an electrical heating unit surrounded by radial fins through which the air in said path .passes twice.

2. An air heating system comprising a casing having an air exit at the top thereof and an air intalie at the bottom thereof, an air path formed by a blower adjacent said air intake and a conn duit from said blower and having its exit at the top of said casing, and a heat exchanger within said conduit, said heat exchanger including an electrical heating unit surrounded by radial iins, said electrical heating unit being ccnical in shape, the large end of said unit being closed and facing the oncoming air.

3. An air heating system in accordance with claim l., in which a second air path is provided parallel with said first mentioned air path and terminating in said first mentioned conduit beyond said heat exchanger for siphoning air along said irst mentioned air path.

fr. An electrical air heater comprising an upu right, substantially rectangular casing, a conduit extending from an opening at the bottom of said casing to an opening at the top of said casing, an electrical heat exchanger within said conduit, a second conduit extending from said lower opening to said first mentioned conduit at a point above said heat exchanger for siphoning air through said rst mentioned conduit.

5. An electrical air heater in accordance with claim s, in which said heat exchanger is an electrically heated cone having its large end closed and facing the oncoming air in said iirst mentioned conduit.

6. An electrical air heater in accordance with claim 5, in which a plurality of spaced vertical ns are positioned around said cone, said ns becoming heated from said cone for heating air passing between said ns, the air on the side ci said cone having less velocity than the air passing between said iins.

7. An electrical air heater comprising an upright, substantially rectangular casing, a conduit extendingl from an opening at the bottom of said casing to an opening at the top of said casing, an electrical heat exchanger within said conduit, said heat exchanger being an electrically heated cone having its large end facing the oncoming air in said conduit, a plurality of spaced vertical ns positioned around said cone, said nns becoming heated from said cone for heating air passing between said fins, the air on the side of said cone having less velocity than the air passing between said ns, and a second conduit extending from lower opening to said rst mentioned conduit at a point above said heat exchanger, the air in said nrst mentioned conduit passing twice between said iins.

8. An electrical air heater comprising an upright, substantially rectangular casing, a ccnduit extending from an opening at the bottom oi said casing to an opening at the top of said casing, an electrical heat exchanger within conduit, a second conduit extending from said lower` opening to said first mentioned conduit at a point above said heat exchanger, and blower in said conduits adjacent said lower opening, the moving air in said second conduit siphoning the air through said rst mentioned conduit.

9. An electrical air heater comprising an upright, substantially rectangular casing, a conduit extending from an opening at the bottom of said casing to an opening at the top of said cas i, an electrical heat exchanger within said conduit, a second conduit extending from said lower ing to said first mentioned conduit at a p conduits adjacent said lower opening, said hea exchanger being positioned in an enlarged portion of said rst mentioned conduit, said exchanger including a conical form of heats unit having its closed large end extending downwardly.

l0. An electrical air heater comprising an upright, substantially rectangular` casing, a conduit extending from an opening at the bottom of said casing to an opening at the top of said ing, an electrical heat exchanger within said conduit, a 'second conduit extending from said lower opening to said rst mentioned conduit at a point above said heat exchanger, and blow ers in said conduits adjacent said lower opening, said heat exchanger being positioned in an cnlarged portion of said first mentioned conduit, said exchanger including a conical form or" heater unit having its closed large end extending downwardly, and separated radial iins around said heater unit, the majority of the air tir h said exchanger passing twice through said tins.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,416,601 Boone May 15, i922 1,754,232 Fisher Apr. l5, 3.930 2,007,102 Wallace July 2, 1935 2,347,954 Kiely lvlay 2, 19/i 2,471,784 Seifner et al May 3l, 194 2,475,910 Morrison July l2, le@ 

